Ringtail the Vengeful
by MitternachtWuten
Summary: "In the end, we must remember that no amount of rules or their enforcement will defeat those who struggle with justice on their side." -Nelson Mandela. AU. R&R please! Cover image by me.
1. PROLOGUE

**A/N: So I came up with a little something while I was playing Sly 4 and keeping up with SGB's playthrough of Sly 3.**

 **I don't know how it came up to be honest. I just kinda sat there and then it came to me. What if Sly did this instead of thieving?**

 **I figured I'd give this a go and see how it went. And so far, I'm really liking the idea. I can only hope you do too.**

 **It'll be rated T for now, but it's probably gonna go to M for the dark, mature theme and overall atmosphere I'm incorporating into this.**

* * *

 **0: PROLOGUE**

Here I am. Standing over the rooftops, looking out over the dreary but bright scenery of Paris. Alone to wallow in my own thoughts. Some say it's "brooding". I say it's "self-discovery".

It's strange. The contrast this city offers. The pouring rain and the gray skies over the evening make it dark. Yet the city lights refuse to give in to the rain's overhanging atmosphere. It reminds me of the people's hope for something better, ignorant of the reality at hand.

I used to give into this same naive vision as well.

But then I grew up.

All of them should be grateful. Grateful for my watchful eye. These police are complete fools. Meaningless pawns who cannot save others for their own incompetent demeanor. But I guess not all are useless...like that woman.

I sigh with a great heave and turn upwards towards the downpour. The rain hits my face and drips down. It's almost as if I can feel these past sins, these transgressions, wash away and melt into the sweet nothingness of puddles. But whoever said what I felt was true?

This rain...it awoke me to my past. That same scene...in this same county...on this day...the death of my own kin. And the pillage of my home. It hurts me to revision my father's own downfall. At the same time, I knew. This event would lead me to the path I took.

This road I'm on...I have no idea what my father would say or think. Would he smile? No. Not with the blood I shed in the name of justice. My mother would be supportive. Perhaps. Or not. I don't know. My mother is a blur in my mind. But I do know she was there for me in the past. Alive for me, caring for my well-being. But one year later she fell too...against those same damn criminals.

When I came out of that orphanage and found all five of them in my early adulthood...it felt good to kill them. I was satisfied in fulfilling my hate-filled revenge.

At that point, I plunged too deep in the hatred and darkness to turn back. I accepted this black heart and made it my destiny to make light out of the dark. The result? My ancestry left in the dust. Would I care? No, not then, not now, not ever. For I am content with what I am, not caring if I may be a monster. If I am a monster...then I shall accept it. At least this monster is doing something right in the world.

With my reflection over, I took my helmet into my own hands and looked at it. My sweater, my Kevlar vest, my gloves, my boots, and even this helmet. All soaked in the rain. I slipped the helmet on and looked through the glass at the impending droplets. I slipped on my old cap too, this also being drenched.

Well...I have been baptized by the rain. And now I shall sin again like all men do. For it is my duty to sin...for the good of the people.


	2. THE END OF THE BEGINNING

**A/N: Here it is, the next chapter. Now things should be getting real interesting now. I figured I'd try a different writing style since my other fanfic here, the Persona one, was a little too detailed in everything else but the story, resulting in the story being REALLY slow paced. So for this one, I'm keeping the minor stuff... _minor stuff._ That way the pacing doesn't come to a screeching halt. I did my best to proofread it without changing much of the style I originally intended when I drafted it.**

 **Of course this is where the dark writing begins to show(it really rears its ugly head next chapter). Changed to M for explicit language and future upcoming things which I will not spoil.**

 **But for now enjoy. As always, remember to read and review. I highly value criticism to improve my writing.**

 **~CJ**

 **P.S.: How's that cover image? I'm personally proud of it.**

* * *

 **1: THE END OF THE BEGINNING**

Morning began, signaled by the light seeping into the apartment window. A small groan could be heard as something woke up. No...not a thing, a person. A woman, to be more specific.

The woman slowly and groggily arose to a sit, stretching her arms outwards while letting out a prolonged yawn. She rubbed her eyes and turned to the window, its light blinding her. She covered her eyes before moving her arms again to her side once her chocolate eyes adjusted.

"Mierda!", she cursed under her breath. "God I need blinds…", she uttered as she turned away from the light and stood up. She strolled over to her small, yet cozy kitchen to brew some coffee. After this, she plopped on her couch and turned on the TV. As per usual, only the news was on. It's really the only channel she watches aside from a few entertainment-based ones.

A woman reporter spoke. "An unknown masked vigilante has struck yet again this midnight, stopping a crime before it even happened! John, tell us, what exactly happened?"

It then cut to the man standing before a large scale jewelry shop. In front of him were two white vans, with one of them having its side shown to have blood streaks. "Not this again!", she complained, now seeming to have fully awaken by the mere shock. Quite odd as the coffee didn't stir her, yet this did.

"Well Katelyn, last night these two vans were being used by an infamous gang of various criminals here in Paris, known as The Creed of Clockwerk. They are a cult organization dedicated to the now deceased crime-lord of the same name. It was here that they were preparing for their heist, before this vigilante interrupted before they could even start! Viewers, if you have children, tell them to look away."

The young brownish-orange vixen, sitting on the edge of her seat, completely zoned into the reporter's words. "He then opened fire on the van with machine guns from the rooftop. This very thing caused nearby citizens to panic and immediately contact the police. And when they arrived, cops found nothing but bodies."

It then cut to a random citizen whose voice was cracking from fear of remembering. "It was horrid. I saw the bullets bust through the windows and cause blood to spill out over the street. One of them tried to get away but...this guy jumped down to the street and shot him. And the robber dragged himself across the van before dropping! Then the masked guy climbed on stuff and escaped to the roofs!"

She shook her head at this. Why would he go so far as to kill them?

Then it cut to the reporter again. "That dragging and dropping of the robber caused the streak of blood you see now on this van. Police are still currently investigating, and their only clue is this calling card." He held up a card that was blue and white, with ears and a mask, shaped like a raccoon. "The police confirmed this calling card is of the currently infamous vigilante "Ringtail". So far, that is all the info we have right now. Back to you Katelyn."

The young woman zoned out the rest before rushing to her laptop. She opened it, causing it to come out of sleep mode. She typed immediately to log back in. The words, "WELCOME BACK, AGENT FOX, CARMELITA" were displayed on the screen by the OS. She had to look at the profile again, just to see if there was any update.

Ringtail's file showed up, and so far the only info updated was his usage of his calling card, and his recorded actions, including the recent incident. She sighed loudly. "Just what is this guy?" Her smartphone began rumbling and she quickly turned to it. Her eyes nearly bulged. "Crap! I'm late!"

The fox quickly rushed to the bathroom to shower, grabbing her outfit from the closet and tossing it onto the bed for later. After she finished showering and the rest, she came out of her apartment, ready with her shock pistol holstered. "I hope they'll forgive me for this…", she muttered as she jogged out to the elevator, pushing a button causing it to close and move. This was going to be one long day for Carmelita Fox.

* * *

A young, handsome raccoon clad in a blackish-blue turtleneck and jeans stood over the balcony of his penthouse apartment, looking out over Paris. He took in a deep breath. "Ah...nothing like the fresh city air and scenery.", he dreamily stated. The door opened, and he viewed the source to see his old turtle friend come in and place himself next to him.

He smirked at his handicapped friend. Of course the reason for his wheelchair still angered him to this day, but he forgot about it as soon as he thought of it. His green comrade didn't let that bring him down, so why should he?

"Bentley, finally using the key huh?", he chuckled.

"Yea. I figured after all the times you came out here and zoned out that knocking was pointless.", Bentley smiled at his coon friend.

"Do I really zone out?"

"Yea Sly. You kinda do."

"How badly?"

"To a point where waving a hand in front of your eyes is useless."

"Jeez, I may need to work on that."

"You really do."

"So how's Murray?"

"He's fine. He's demolition derby now after all those racing incidents."

Sly laughed. "Really? Heh. I need to go and see him drive sometime."

"You really should. A show's coming up next month. Maybe we can go together and cheer him on!"

"Alright, sounds good! I'll be there!"

"Promise your…", Bentley shifted around. "- _alter ego_ won't come before him?"

"Of course Bentley. Friends come first, Bentley. I won't let this get in the way of us."

"OK. Just had to check cause of last time."

Sly shook his head and grinned. He was grateful to have friends like this. It was nice to have people that cared about you in this way.

"So you were all over the news again."

"Really? Maybe I should do things quieter from now on. All this media attention…it's really a drag."

"I know how you feel. If I did that kinda stuff, I'd wanna keep it on the down low too. But it is hard to keep things a secret from the news Sly. Just make sure you make it out to be like you were never there."

"Alright. I'll do that next time. I need to go back to my roots after all."

"Yea! Just like the old days!"

"Yea...like the old days…", Sly repeated, directing his attention back to the city.

A small silence intervened before the bespectacled turtle spoke up again.

"So, do you need anything else? Gadgets? Mods?"

"Actually yea. I do need one gadget."

Sly fished in his pockets and pulled out a blueprint.

"Think you could make this?", he handed it to Bentley.

"Hmm...where'd ya find this?"

"Found it on one of the big timers I busted last week. That crazy guy, Dr.M. See all the different things it has on it?"

"And how is this achieved?"

"Like this."

He pulled out a piece of paper with multiple writings all over it. Bentley studied the entire thing closely, making facial reactions to the systems it uses.

"Wow...really? That's quite a daring feat."

"Yea. It'll really do me some good in my operations. Think you could make it for me?"

"Yea...me and Penelope can do it. But...it'd take a while.", Sly remembered when Bentley met Penelope after they stopped their thieving. He thought it was the cutest thing ever when they got together.

"How long?"

"A year max with our genius.", Bentley bragged.

"Heh. I can wait then. Especially knowing you two, you'll add some extra stuff."

"Of course, Sly! And we have to improve it too!"

"Alright, thanks pal."

"No problem Sly! Well, I gotta get going now."

"Oh, one more thing before you leave."

Bentley turned around while the door was mid open to face his childhood friend.

"Yes, Sly?"

"Say hi to Murray for me. I'm sure he misses me. Tell Penelope I said hi too."

"Will do.", Bentley nodded. "See ya later Sly.", the door shut behind him as he wheeled off.

"See ya.", Sly waved before turning back to the city.

"Hmmm. Now that that's out of the way...I wonder what else I should do today? ", he put his index finger and thumb to his cheek. "Maybe I should get something nice for lunch…"

* * *

Carmelita and a figure sitting behind a large chair sat opposite of each other. The chair swivelled around to reveal the face of this man, a large gorilla in a pinstripe suit that had a gold badge pinned on it.

"You are almost never late Carmelita. You haven't made this type of mistake since your rookie days."

Carmelita sighed and looked down. "Yes Chief. I understand."

"I'm curious as to how this occurred. Mind telling me?"

"My phone acted up. The alarm sounded much later than it should've."

"Strange. Did anything happen to it?"

"No sir."

The gorilla snuffed and intertwined his hands.

"I shall excuse this. If it happens again, let me know. I'll have the tech department inspect it."

"Understood, Chief.", the vixen nodded and stared at her superior straight in the eyes.

"You are dismissed, Miss Fox."

Carmelita stood back up and walked out of the office back to her own, hands in her tight jean pockets, her boots making a clack with each step. She relaxed into her chair and let out a long breath. "Man this Ringtail thing is eating me alive.", a jangle sounded as her Interpol choker necklace dangled around.

She never understood what fed her obsession towards this masked "hero". Carmelita was never the type to read comics as a child, nor ever, so it wasn't infatuation with the narrative he formed. It wasn't because of some sort of attraction either. She did thought at one point he was built nicely, but the thought was erased before it could grow. So what was it?

There was really only one way she could explain it. The guy really wasn't a criminal. Sure, he did kill people, but he never harmed innocent civilians. This was proven time after time whenever it was investigated. Most of the civilians killed had a dark record or some unwritten horrid crime committed like mass extortions or rapes. Even at point, one of them was systematically plotting genocide, and was even about to try it too had it not been for him.

Vigilantism was illegal, that was right. But she felt this guy did her job better than she ever could in her life. And she graduated at the top of her class in the academy! She even had quite a record for the most amount of successful arrests! She gained a rep even among criminals! "A beaut of a fox who can catch you in a dead second". That was the way the crime lords described her.

But yet this guy was easily evading her. There were times where she headed an investigation and every time he escaped by the skin of his teeth. Somehow his technique was more refined than hers. He had this unknown edge against her, and what's more is that he's a stealthy little turd! It's no wonder why he does it at night!

But even then, he escaped easily even in daylight once thanks to a flash bomb he had on him. She had to wonder just what kind of a man he was to own ninja style throwing bombs. In fact, she wondered about a lot of things involving Ringtail way too much.

That was the cause for her determination and focus on it. That, and she was named the Chief Head Investigator for this, taking all the small information gathered from others and sometimes her own smaller operations to figure it all out.

But no matter what, nothing worked on this guy! No tactic could be used, no dirty trick left unknown and surprising. It's like he knew everything inside and out, like it was the back of his own freaking hand!

It frustrated her...but it was a nice challenge. Something she was craving for after all these years of easily catching people left and right. _Yea...maybe that's the reason._ , she thought to herself.

As she sat there, chin on her arms, leaned over her desk, she snapped out of her self journey to hear a knock from the secretary. "Miss Fox!"

She immediately sat straight-up and her full attention was restored. "Yes ma'am?"

"One of your investigative teams discovered something. They think it might be a prediction for Ringtail's next move."

The Interpol Agent inwardly was giddy. Maybe now she could finally catch up to him and find out all about him. It might just end, or at least subside, her behavior towards him! Now that self-grounding in Paris was starting to finally pay off! "Thank you.", she replied.

The secretary handed her the dossier and walked off.

Thinking back on it, she initially thought that refusal was stupid, but now her mind had changed once more. She reminiscenced the idea as if it occurred yesterday. She was finally done with her training when the new Ringtail threat arised with bang. He had done smaller stuff before, but it was the big event of killing Muggshot's inheritor that put him on the map. The home force was begging her to stay since she was the only one capable of catching this guy, so she complied, thus "self-grounding". Interpol was waiting for her to finish so she could join them in their global efforts. Now it seemed she might finally get to her true calling as an agent of Interpol.

She scanned through the file and smirked. The Clockwerk cult was planning to meet inside an abandoned factory to deal with some gangsters for weapons. They intercepted a radio transmission to figure this out, thus allowing them to know the deal's purpose.

It was to arm themselves in order to enact revenge on Ringtail for ruining their robbery. Going onto the assumption that Ringtail did the same as the police to find this out, they presumed that his appearance would occur there.

"Hmm...no light source within the building but the sun. Daylight all around. Odd that Ringtail would do something at this time. Well, if I was Ringtail, I would hide in the building before someone spotted me, then go after the crooks and escape. I wonder how he'll do it at daytime with the expanded visibility."

She grinned with excitement at the idea. Now she could catch two-no, _three_ birds with one stone. This would lead to the capture of the cultists, the dealer and Ringtail all in one setting! This seemed like a dream, and she even pinched herself to check. Thankfully, it wasn't.

"This time, you're mine Ringtail!", she muttered, making a smile so wide her teeth showed.

* * *

The police were right on their assumption. Sly was doing the very thing they expected. He was using his home computer and a set of tools disguised as audio recording gear.

He listened in carefully to the comms. "What will they do this time?", he wondered aloud as he silenced himself and pressed his headphone on his ear.

He turned a dial on a box and kept getting static. "C'mon stupid...computer...there!", his hands immediately jerked back away from the dial.

"So wut's da deal about, Boss?", a voice with an Austrian accent piped up.

"Dumbass, it's for Ringtail! We're gonna find that fucker and bust caps in his ass for trashing that robbery!", a loud American barked.

A hoarse Italian spoke up. "You shoulda known it woulda happened. Ringy's gettin' good. Real good."

"Well he won't be "real good" when he's in a 6 by 12 foot hole in the ground with a bullet in his dick!"

"Shtupid yank.", the hoarse voice hacked at him. "We don' use that shiet! Give us metrics!"

"Kiss my ass, Chef Boyardee! You got a nice phone there...try using Google instead of tryin' to be an argumental smartass!"

"Boss, wheh we goin' again?"

"We're goin' to that old factory."

"Which wun?"

"That food one. Down near the liquor store."

"Shnarkies?"

"Yeah. Snarkies."

"Awright, suh!"

"Those Russian asshats better give us those quality guns we ordered or hell will break loose!"

Sly then shut off the comms. "Thanks boys for playing yourselves.", he smugly retorted as he began to head out of his apartment, grabbing his keys along the way. He locked the door behind him and went to the elevator, riding it down to the garage floor. He walked over to his unit and pressed his keycode, making the storage unit door unlocked. He slid it open and then closed it.

He walked over to a bookshelf and pulled a thick, red book blandly labelled "Dictionary". It turned out to be a switch, as the bookcase swiveled around to reveal a short hallway with an elevator. After sliding through the hidden door, he closed and locked it behind him and headed for the elevator.

It zoomed down and stopped after ten seconds. The area Sly entered was a long and narrow passageway with concrete floors and walls that was at a length of around a football field. He turned and headed for the nearby farthest end.

There was a large pod containing his suit. A Kevlar vest of body armor, combat boots, many combat strap-ons, complete with pouches and other slots filled with items like cylinder-like grenades and spherical bombs, both full and mini sized. There was also a brown-ish red backpack complete with a lucky horseshoe attached to the back.

There were also his two SMGs holstered. Both of them modelled after the famous Vickers machine gun from the first World War. And of course, his helmet and cap. The helmet was modeled after his calling card, with ear holes cut out so Sly can hear. Many tiny unnoticeable holes were on the nose to allow him to breath, and the eyes were white tinted fiberglass. A pair of black gloves and a yellow scarf also was stored within it.

He pushed a green button on the console that opened up the capsule. He then stripped his pants and shoes off and began to to put on his costume. He began by zipping up the body armor first over his sweater, after rolling up the sleeves. He then put on (in this order) the boots, the strap-ons, the backpack, the holstered guns, and then the gloves. And finally, he grabbed his helmet, turning it around so the front could face him.

He stared at it for bit before flipping it back around and placing it on top of his head. Then taking the cap and firmly placing it over his left ear and winding the yellow scarf around his neck . He pushed the button again to close the storage pod.

After pushing a red button, a car arose. It was a 1959 Edsel Corsair with the overhead on, heavily modified inside and out, with colors and a logo that made it look like the gang's old van. He grabbed the keys off a small counter and headed towards it.

He opened the driver's seat and ignited it, the engine loudly vrooming. He then pushed on the gas pedal to quickly accelerate it after putting it in drive gear. He pushed a button on the dash and at the end of the passageway, a door opened, leading to a large incline.

 _Lucky this thing doesn't need gas right now…_ , he internally thought as he fastly climbed up the steep incline by slamming on the pedal. A hatch opened and he was in an abandoned garage, exiting out into the city streets, zooming towards the factory.

"Ready or not...here I come!", his voice changed from the usual soft, silky tone to a deeper, monotone and slightly gruff one.


	3. RETRIBUTION

**A/N: Oopsie. Forgot to put this in.**

 **Well here's the next chapter. Now the mature themes are popping up, like the language I mentioned earlier and other things in this.**

 **Please do review after reading!**

 **~CJ**

* * *

 **2: RETRIBUTION**

"Boss, whea here.", the Austrian stepped out of the car and headed towards the factory. The Boss came out followed by the Italian, who was carrying a briefcase.

"Alright, shut the fuck up and let me do the talking. We fuck up this, the Clockwerk Inheritor will have our asses cooked to a crisp.", the American owl turned to the Austrian tiger and Italian dog.

"Whateva yank. I hear ya. We'll go through this.", the dog rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Call me a yank one more time and I'll have your greaser ass canned.", the American pulled out his Colt revolver and put on his temple. "I got the gun, remember? I'm more than happy to show what happens when you disrespect me."

"Fine. Yank. Or should I call you an Americunt?"

The owl then shot the gun at the dog, effective blowing his brains out and killing him. Blood was near his foot, and so was a bit of his brain.

"Thought I was kidding, guido? Good riddance you disobedient mutt.", the owl spat on the dog's body.

"Jesus, boss! You dun killed da man!", the tiger's eyes widened.

"Like it'll matter later. Bastard was always disrespectful. It was gonna happen eventually. I just got to it first. And, he might've blown this operation with his big mouth. Capiche?"

"I undastand, suh."

"Now remember, shut up or you'll end up like poochie over here. I'll head in. Put that dog in the trunk. We'll dump his body later."

The tiger nodded and placed the briefcase down, picking up his body and and putting it down to open the trunk. He picked up the body once more and threw him in there, slamming the trunk down. "Good riddance."

He walked back around and grabbed the briefcase, rushing inside. Little did they know, Ringtail was just half a mile away. His car was parked in a hidden alley, while Ringtail rested on the roof, using his binocucom to view them from afar.

"So they kill their own. How sweet.", he remarked sarcastically. "Well, now let's see those guns.", he placed the binocucom away in his backpack and began using his thief abilities to hop from rooftop to rooftop, eventually reaching the building.

"Where to enter…", he muttered as he walked around the edges searching. The box building had no rooftop based entrances. But then he spotted a bent pipe leaning towards a completely open window, the latter probably being caused by fast winds. _How convenient.,_ the vigilante mused.

He jumped onto the pipe, leaping off it into the building, quickly latching onto the ceiling framework and swinging himself on top of it. He walked along the rails and stopped when he reached a perfect view of the deal...at least, it was perfect if he needed distance. _Need to get closer for the drop…_

He then hopped from rail to rail until he was directly above. _Better._ , he then stood patiently above the four to begin eavesdropping.

* * *

Carmelita was directly outside in a parked car near the area. She pulled out a police radio and began speaking into it as she pushed the button. "All local units, Ringtail has entered the building. I repeat, Ringtail entered the building. Here's the plan: we're gonna stack up on the doors and remain unseen while doing so. That means we gotta stay clear of the windows. Remember to stack up in line position, with at least one person at the opposite end to cover you. When we get there, I'll listen in. When Ringtail drops in, I'll signal for us to breach and make the arrest using the comms. Are we clear?"

"This is Alpha Squad leader. 10-4."

"Beta lead here. 10-4."

"Theta leader reporting. 10-4."

"OK people, you have your positions and orders. Now go, and be careful!"

"Yes ma'am."

"10-4 again."

"Roger that. Moving now."

She smirked and turned to the two GIGN officers behind her. "You ready?"

"Of course ma'am.", the two grabbed their loaded MP5's.

"You sure you don't need body armor ma'am? Your midriff is exposed. So is your heart.", one of them piped up.

"No, I don't. Once you see how quick I am on my feet, you'll understand. But I appreciate your concern. Besides, with my plan, it won't be needed.", she smiled at the man. He replied with a nod. They then all got out of the car and sneaked up to the side entrance they were close to, leaning in against the wall with the two cops formed up on her. He her hand was waiting on the button of her communicator to give the signal. This raid was so exciting to her, she couldn't wait to see the look on their faces when they're caught red handed.

* * *

The two bear mobsters clad in suits of white and black stood there with three large trash bags, waiting there patiently.

The owl and the tiger walked over to stand a few feet directly opposite of them.

"You got the weapons?"

"Depends.", one of the Russians spoke up. "Do you have the money?"

"Yea, we do. Show em!", he elbowed the tiger. He opened up the briefcase and revealed the stacks of hundred bills that filled the case whole.

One of them whistled. "Gentlemen, I think you will be quite satisfied.", one of them reached into the bag and pulled out two weapons. One of them being a rocket launcher, another being a modern AK.

The two grabbed them and inspected the weapons. Each of them were fully loaded with the safety on. The owl turned off the safety and cocked a mechanism on the AK back. "You mind if I test this thing?"

The bears nodded. "Go ahead.", he moved his hand to the left, signalling to the bottles randomly scattered throughout the old building. The owl went ahead and shot at them all in full auto, each one being hit. The owl chuckled.

"Damn boys. You got yourself some fine stuff here,"

"A weapon is only as good as the man behind it.", the bear smirked. "I assume we have a deal then?"

"Damn right you do. We'll take the bags.", the owl stated.

"And we'll take the money."

"Of course. Wouldn't be a deal if I kept it.", the owl began walking.

Ringtail then used one of the abilities he learned in the Thievius Raccoonus pages he recovered, slowing down time as he jumped, or at least it seemed that way. _Alright, time to interrupt._ Ringtail thought to himself as he jumped off the pipe and into the middle of the two. Time then went back to normal from his view.

All of them flinched, but only the owl spoke. "What the fuck?! You!"

Ringtail stood up slowly, and looked to each of them.

"Cyka, you lured him here! You traitor!", the bear growled.

"I didn't! How did he-", the owl yelled back.

"Both of you. Shut up and lay down. I'm here to stop this deal. If you don't comply, I'll kill you.", Ringtail's cold voice spoke up as he looked to both again.

"Fuck you!", the owl yelled, aiming to fire. Quickly, Ringtail "teleported" and kicked away his rifle. He pulled out his cane-knife and hooked the rocket launcher. He then grabbed it with his hands, throwing it, and disarming them both. He put the charging owl into a judo throw towards tiger and knocked them both down.

Just as the bears were about to take out a weapon, he quickly pulled out his one of his machine gun and fired at the bears, causing them to flinch and duck behind the bags. They came out trembling after having just barely escaped death. He then pointed his guns at both parties to freeze them in place. "Do anything stupid and next time I shoot, I'll be sure to hit."

Ringtail turned his head towards the tiger and owl. "So...a cult full of lunatics wishing to recreate Clockwerk wants revenge against me? Here's a reminder: I'm the one who killed your idol. So don't think for a second you and your little gang of posers can kill me.", he spat at the cultist gangsters. He then turned to the bears. "And you."

The bears started shaking. "Look, we don't want no trouble.", one of them blurted.

"Shoulda thought of that before you reached for your guns, you Slav bastard. Now tell what the Russian mob is doing here in France."

"We just came here for the deal. Nothing else, we swear on our mother's graves!"

"Funny how tough you were all acting before this. Now you're like little mice. Listen here, this'll be your last chance to live.I'm going to count to 3. If you don't leave with your items, my bullets will escort you out personally to Hell."

The gangster duos then quickly scrambled for their stuff, all while trembling. "1…...2…...3…", he counted. Just as the gangsters were about to leave and Ringtail was to shoot, the doors came busting down after Carmelita signalled.

Carmelita point her shock pistol at Ringtail while her followers pointed their guns at the bears. Soon enough, all of the GIGN squads had them completely pinned. "Everyone freeze! You're all under arrest!", Carmelita yelled, shock pistol in firing position.

Ringtail slowly turned himself and his guns to the fox. Normally he would've piped up about how beautiful she was, but he had an identity to keep. And Ringtail was not the teasing, fun guy Sly was. _Ooh la la...too bad she's a cop trying to bust my ass._

Ringtail turned towards the approaching vixen, pointing his guns at her as a result.

"You, Ringtail! Drop your weapons, now!", Carmelita barked as half of a GIGN squad were aiming at him.

Ringtail sighed. "Like I'd trust a jackbooted thug with my weapons."

"Drop 'em!", Carmelita commanded.

"Make me.", the vigilante replied.

Carmelita squinted her eyes and puckered her lips in annoyance at the man. She thought he would at least be compliant in this situation, given the circumstances. But nope. Looks like this guy is a hard-ass. At least she knows one personality trait of the man she was chasing. "Give me one good reason why I should let you keep them."

"Cause they're mine. Private property rights. You're a cop. You should know this. Or are you too daft to care about rights of the people?"

"There's been a warrant for your arrest. I believe that's good enough reason to give them up."

Ringtail scoffed. "Please. I'm doing a better job than you police have ever done. You should be grateful for that, and the fact that I never killed a cop. But now I'm not so sure I want to upkeep that if you keep getting in my way like a pest."

She sneered at his attitude, feeling the anger rise up in her. _Man this guy is a dick! Why would I expect anything else from outlaws? But he is right on one thing...he's doing better than us._ "If you won't give them to us, then holster 'em, put 'em in safety and lock em.", she signalled to his two waist holsters.

A long period of silence was drawn between the two. It ended once Ringtail put his guns at his side after enough pressure. He eventually did exactly what she asked. "Good. It seems we are in agreement.", Carmelita reached behind her to pull out a pair of cuffs with a smug smirk. "Men, cuff those four and bring them to Central! We'll have them interrogated for information.", she called out.

"Yes ma'am!", two of the squads replied. Carmelita took Ringtail's arms and put them behind his back, cuffing the man as she grabbed him and began guiding him. Carmelita internally was jumping for joy. She accomplished what she wanted-no, _needed_ to do. Now her real job as an Interpol agent can finally begin.

The GIGN units escorted the four gangsters into separate armored vehicles and drove off. One of the remaining officers approached her. "Ma'am, do you need help with this one?"

She smiled and shook her head. "No thanks. I got him handled."

"Alright.", the GIGN nodded and moved back to his squad to begin leaving.

"Like hell you do!", Ringtail uttered before crashing into her and using his invisibility trick he learned from the Thievius Raccoonus after he stole the keys. _I haven't lost my touch.,_ Ringtail grinned under the mask.

"Huh?!", Carmelita turned around after being stunned for a few seconds. She felt like something was ripped from her pockets. Her hands went to her back pocket to inspect, eyes widening in shock as she turned around completely in a frantic manner, looking all over the place. "Where did he go?!", she spoke. The GIGN members turned to her, watching from the squad vehicle and began whispering.

Carmelita's expression turned from shock to anger real quick. She made a growl and and punched the ground. "Damn it! Where is he?!", she quickly turned to the police behind her and yelled loudly. "Hey! Get out of there and help me find him!"

One of the GIGNs shook his head. "What a dolt.", he muttered as he went to the front of the van and radioed in. "HQ, this is Squad Leader Alpha of the Montoya Platoon. We have an escaped fugitive on our hands. Ringtail has escaped. I repeat, Ringtail has escaped, requesting immediate backup. Over."

They replied. "Copy that Alpha Leader. We're sending units now. Over."

"Roger that. How long of an ETA?"

"Estimate one minute."

"Roger. Alpha Leader, over and out."

The squad leader rushed to join the rest and Carmelita in scanning the area.

Ringtail was hidden, still invisible in a incredibly nearby alley, fumbling around quickly trying to unlock his cuffs. _Shit, this is a risky move! Gotta hurry. But man. Wow...she sure is hot tempered. Note to self: never get on her bad side...that is, when I'm not Ringtail._

After enough fumbling, the cuffs and keys dropped to ground. They made a small click as they dropped, and became visible. One of the cops turned towards the alley after barely hearing it. "Hey! I think something's over there!"

Carmelita whipped around. "Check it out then! I'll come later when I'm through checking this section!"

"Shit!", muttered Ringtail as he jumped up, exposing himself for a brief moment.

"I saw something moving! It might be the target! Stay sharp!", one of them called. Ringtail was now completely visible on the rooftops. _Damn it! Forgot it was in the middle of the afternoon! Now that fox might see me! Better take the long way back!_

Ringtail hoped there was something that would lessen the chances of being seen. He saw behind him as the cops in the alley got further from him. _Good, the further they are, the harder it'll be to notice me._

He then turned 90 degrees from his path to more buildings in order to reach his car. He noticed Carmelita rushed towards the alley he left. She then jumped up onto the roof, and Ringtail quickly adjusted and went to ground level. _Fuck! She has some agility! Let's hope that she can't-_

His thoughts were cut off by Carmelita's running and jumped around the perimeter of the cuffs. _Nevermind. She can. She has a chance of catching up with me. Just gotta be careful and-...aw crap._

Before he knew it, the reinforcements arrive, making his escape all the more difficult. A couple of them stopped nearby and the others continued on. It was times like these that made him wish he had Bentley to guide him. But he was beyond that point now.

He quickly moved from alley to alley, dodging cops left and right, some of them by the skin of his teeth. He noticed ahead was the alley his car was in. _Almost there!_ He then stopped dead in his tracks and ducked behind a dumpster when he noticed some GIGN's jogging by. He let out a silent "Phew!". _God, that was close._

He peeked out to notice they were gone. He then stood up and readied himself. _Time to use that Thievius Raccoonus technique I was working on!_

This was his own technique he developed. A way to quickly move from place to place without relying on spires like Ryoichi, while utilising the reaction enhancement with the slowdown, no longer needed for jumps exclusively. Plus, it could be used in combat as an effective dodge move, as he demonstrated in the factory. This was his "Quick Teleport". It wasn't a catchy name, but it worked. To prepare himself, he stepped back a few and took a running start before quickly "teleporting" to the edge of the alley.

Ringtail sprinted towards his car and started it as soon as he jumped in, slamming on the gas pedal and zooming out of the search area (again, barely missing police). Now he relaxed after being long gone, knowing that he could return safely. Using different shortcuts and abandoned roads so not to be notice, Ringtail made it back to the garage he came out of.

He put it in reverse and backed up into a different passageway. He stopped before the edge before the platform lowered back into his underground facility, where he got out of his outfit and back to his normal clothes, storing the outfit in the pod and watching his car get lowered below the floor.

Later, he headed back up to his apartment, coming out of the bathroom in order to clean up his look, and turned on the TV after jumping onto the couch. The news have interrupted standard programming for an emergency broadcast about him and the current situation. He chuckled as he got up and went into his kitchen, pouring himself some wine. He stood there and watched earnestly while sipping his drink.

"Too late boys. You already lost me.", he tipped up his glass in a mocking manner before taking another sip. In his mind, he was slightly disappointed. He was hoping to at least kill one of the Clockwerk cultists to scare them off for good. Or if they escaped before he killed them, they could break the news of him killing Clockwerk, having the same result as the last. _Oh well, arrest is just as good..._ _I guess_ _._

Though his mind couldn't help but wander back to that lady cop he saw. He wondered in his mind about her, and what she could be doing right now.

* * *

Carmelita slammed open and shut the door to her apartment. Flipping on the lights while stomping to her bedroom, she flopped onto her bed and screamed into her pillow after a delay, making a loud groan afterwards. Man she wish she didn't have a temper. It's probably why she never got a boyfriend in high school. She flipped around and sighed, throwing off her jacket, gloves and boots. Now all that was left was her jeans and zipper top.

She repeated her groan. "I was _this_ close! And then he got away! By becoming invisible of all things! How can he do that?! That's ridiculous, _no one_ can do that! Just how did he- urgh!", she crossed her arms and looked down at her feet.

She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples to calm herself. "Slow down Carmelita...you're just overreacting…you can get him another time.", she took a deep breath. "That was all my fault. I should've taken that guy's help. But I just had to be cocky and overconfident.", she sighs.

"God the Chief is gonna yell my ear off. Just like Barkley used to do.", she almost felt a tear come out of her eyes. She quivered at the thought of Barkley. If there was anyone who knew how to break and reduce her to a feeble, blubbering mess, it was him. Anything time she would fail as a young trainee, she always cried at least once, many times trying not to. In her mind, it was supposed to toughen her up, but it never worked. Even with the tough exterior, she still had a fragile heart.

But it was not the screaming alone that did it. It was more him pointing out her failure and making it seem like it was as bad as the Holocaust. Even if nothing wrong happened in her eyes, it was always wrong to Barkley. So she always got an earful, and sometimes if his anger was extreme enough, she would feel the force of a backhand against her face. There were bruises to show.

On top of the flood of bad memories, she almost felt herself begin to bawl at her complete misstep. She could almost hear Barkley's voice again.

Even if she was home alone, she felt she had to be strong and not cry, as if _he_ was there. "Remember Carm...Chief is not like Barkley. He's a nice man. He offered to fix your phone when you were late, and many other things.", she comforted herself with her shaky voice and breathing. Just as she completely calmed down, she was startled by her phone ringing.

"Agh! Who could be calling me right now?!", she complained, picking it up and looking at its screen. Her ears and eyes then perked up. "Oh. Mom."

She pressed the green button on the touchscreen. "Hey Mom. Why are you calling?"

"Oh sweetie, I saw the news and...I'm sorry honey."

"It's fine Mom. I'll get him again someday. I just...went over my head, that's all."

"Aw. Well at least you know what not to do next time, right?"

"Yea."

"Well then, it's no problem."

"But Mom, how am I going to catch him again? Once he knows a tactic, he knows it for good. He actively adapts."

"I'm sure you'll figure it out hun. You always were the top of your class for a reason."

Carmelita smiled warmly. "Thanks Mom. Is that what you wanted to call about?"

"Yes, but there's another reason, honey."

"Huh? Well, what is it?"

"I'm sure you know. You used to bug me all about it in high school."

"Outfits?"

"No."

"Music?"

"No, dearie."

"Oh no. You don't mean _that_ do you?"

"Yes I do!"

"Mom! Now's not the time to discuss boys!"

"But honey, you need a man in your life! And I need grandchildren!"

"Can we not do this? I'm not in the mood for it! And I'm too young for children! God Mom, you've been on my case ever since I was a high school grad! I _gave up_ Mom!", Carmelita huffed.

"But-"

" _Mom!_ "

"...Fine, fine. I'll leave you alone."

Carmelita silently sighed in relief.

"But promise me one thing Carm. You'll talk with me about this tomorrow, right?"

"Yea, ok. I promise mami."

"OK sweetie. I love you."

"Love you too."

"Bye!"

It was then that her mother hung up.

"Mom...sometimes you just don't know the right timing.", she whined as she put her hand on her forehead. Now her headache worsened on top of her screw up.


	4. MEMORIZATION

**A/N: Well, this took a while to make. But what can I say? I proofread way too much.**

 **Please enjoy the next chapter. I've written well beyond this point in the drafting (3 chapters ahead actually), so at least I've gotten that out of the way.**

 **As always, please review.**

 **~CJ**

* * *

 **3\. MEMORIZATION**

What a day this was. I barely escaped the cops, and justice was...somewhat served. Call me a psycho, but those Clockwerk-worshipping freaks have done enough to earn it. And what can I say, I have a history with them. But it seems each new generation never learns…

Probably because of me killing the guys who got their lesson.

But as I sat there watching the news, I couldn't help but feel bad for that lady cop. It hurts to see such a beautiful face twisted by frustration and anger. She almost had me...but she didn't count on the Cooper clan's amazing abilities.

Her face reminded me of someone I encountered earlier. I escaped from some crazy, pistol-toting woman once back in my earlier days of Ringtail. I couldn't tell what she looked like though...it was dark and rainy. And a power outage swept through the city after some lightning. But it's whatever I guess.

I thought back to the time I wished I had Bentley and Murray. It was a stupid thought, really. After I started this new "career", that's when the Cooper gang disbanded. Bentley hacked into the police station and wiped all the cases we were involved in, forging new files for us that were absolutely perfect. That was our last heist as a team. Then we all went our separate ways.

Not a single person on the team was too keen on my idea. They were already questioning me after the whole revenge quest mumbo jumbo.

Staring at my smartphone, I saw the time on it. "4:57 PM". Just a 90 degree turn of the head and I got myself the best view of the setting sun. It was a beautiful sight...sunsets always were to me. Yet at the same time it brought up memories within my mind. It always lead me to think about it all from the beginning, how I came to be. So I figured I should tell of my history. But not in the Thievius Raccoonus. I stopped documenting in that thing long after I quitted thieving.

I even remember the last words I wrote in the book. Every single stroke of a pen to write that single, finishing sentences. "I always felt empty when I stole from others. It couldn't cure my satisfaction. The last thing I leave in this book afterwards are my new abilities which I'll develop. Why, you ask? Because I found a different path to justice."

Those final words set in stone who I would become. I recorded everything in a separate book, which I have no title for yet. Maybe I should choose "The Legend of Ringtail"?

Ah, but what am I saying? I'd change my family line from thieving to...this.

Darn! I'm getting off topic again! Focus Cooper!

Now where was I? Oh, yes. How it all began.

It all started with the murder of my father. I remember every single part of that event, something I wish I wasn't cursed with. There was loud banging and voices on the door. It was a cooperation force of major criminals from around the world, known as the Fiendish Five. All of them lead by the Cooper rival, Clockwerk. He hated us so much, he turned himself into a immortal machine, all kept alive by a chip storing such strong feelings.

My dad hid me and my mother first. My mother...she was an amazing woman. But there were times where she became an impulsive coward. She dashed out of the house in a silent mental breakdown, leaving me behind. I had to keep quiet for father, despite my wanting to call for her.

Then I witnessed it all from the ajar closet door. My father struck down, and our family book ripped, its pages stolen. I cried for my father once they were long gone. I can hear my younger self, weeping for my father to wake up from his sleep. I did not comprehend death at such a tender, young age. Against all the shakings and slaps, I bawled. He would not wake up.

I sat there by his side. Tear after tear, crying his name as if it would suddenly make him come back to live. The police found me there. It was then that I was kept at the station for a bit. They tried questioning me, but I wouldn't budge for nothing. I eventually told them, as long as they promised to find my mother.

They kept their deal true and I was reunited with her. I was happy again. I started school, and everything was great. At least from a child's perspective. The reality was I was the black sheep of the group. I always was the lonely kid who was exceptional at his work. I proved more times than not that I was gifted in so many ways.

Why was I lonely? Simple, the one thing everyone in school is afraid of: difference. My father died before me. When the word got out, I was tormented by the bullies. What made it all worse was one day when I came home to see my mother dead.

It was those same five bastards. How could I tell? The bullet holes in the walls. They were the same from before...the same as Muggshot's guns. And that horrid scratch mark on the wall...Clockwerk's own "calling card".

It wasn't long before I was orphaned and sent to the "Happy Camper Orphanage". What an ironic name for such a hell hole. The staff was mean, the kids were selfish and greedy, save for a few, and the janitor was scary. It was almost like he took pleasure in spooking us.

But it was at that place that I met my best friends Bentley and Murray. We used to pull heists to get cookies and other things. Those were fun times.

Yet at the same time, I got my first experience of the very thing I do now. Mind you, I didn't kill anyone. I mean, I didn't know how to kill anywho. I don't think I even had the mental capacity for it. But it didn't mean I couldn't be violent. I could whack people with my inherited Cooper cane, but I know of its deadly potential like I can nowadays, turning the top of it into a knife as I have.

Either way, it felt good. I remember this like it was yesterday.

There was this big ol' mean bully by the name of Daniel. He was this big-for-his-age cat who liked to push around others for fun. It was more of a coping mechanism for his insecurities, like all bullies, but he sure made it seem like it wasn't that way.

This damn kid pushed around Bentley while he was drawing things that would inspire his hacking programs. Danny thought it would be funny to take his paper, taunt him for not being able to reach it, and then put it in his mouth and spit it out. On top of that, he kicked Bentley physically. I even remember him throwing the rotten papers at him.

Murray wasn't the fighting powerhouse back then, but he sure had a loud mouth to tell me about it. I ran on over and found Bentley on the floor near that disgusting, wet paper ball.

Bentley told me. "Sly, Danny he...he…". He then started crying. Danny taunted him for being a baby.

"He's only 8 Daniel! Just like me and Murray. He's allowed to cry.", I defended my friend.

"Doesn't mean he's not a loser like you and fattie over there!", Danny continued his shenanigans. "Like you'll do anything anyways, pipsqueak.", he laughed as he turned and starting walking off.

"Stop it now, Daniel! You're just a stupid guy with stupid jokes! No one likes you because you're stupid!", it took some courage, but I spoke up just as he was about to go.

He turned with a face that screamed violence was around the corner. "What did you say Cooper?"

"You heard me! You're stupid and nobody likes you! You're just mean cause you suck!"

He stomped near me and stood tall. "You think you're funny?"

"Funnier than you and your dumb joke of a haircut."

All the kids would laugh, but they were too focused on my bravery.

"Well you know what Cooper? You may be funnier, but you're not tougher. Shut up or get beat up."

"I'm probably tougher than you."

"Oh, so smarty pants wants to take a shot then?"

I gulped. My 8 year-old mind couldn't believe I was doing this. "Then take it!", Danny swung and I was hit.

My jaw hurt immensely. I put my fingers near my teeth to massage them, and pulled out finding blood stained on my gloves. The anger was swelling up within me. Not only did this guy hurt my friends, but he messed up my teeth. Now I had to get braces. Or, that's how it was in my mind. Later on, I found it didn't affect my teeth at all. Good thing I drank my milk.

But at that moment, I grabbed my cane and turned, swinging the long stick at Danny, socking him right in the head. He got knocked down just as I had. And that's how the fight ended up for the most part. Him charging at me, while I either counter or come back from a hit. I made sure to whack him hard with that cane.

Of course the both of us got in trouble with the head lady there. But after that, he never bothered anyone again out of fear for getting his ass kicked again. I ended up gaining legendary status at the orphanage for quite a while. Even after moving out at 16 to be with my friends in what would be our old hideout, I still was talked about. In a way, I became a hero there.

Though I never engaged in that type of stuff again til much later, when my hunt for the Fiendish Five began. It all happened after a police station heist to find their file. Of course the motivation was initially for my family's book, but after finding out they were the ones behind my father's murder, I was enraged.

I only saw shadows of who they were. But at that moment, I knew their identities and where they lived.

Bentley seemed to notice it first before Murray, the latter being more vocal about it once he knew. I focused more on my revenge quest than gathering the Thievius Raccoonus pages. That was my second major taste of justice, and something that changed my mind forever, making me who I am today.

It felt surprisingly good to get back at them. To kill them. I shot Muggshot with his own gun. Killed Raleigh with his own machinery. I turned Mizz Ruby's voodoo against her. And all of it was satisfying. Especially watching Clockwerk burn to a crisp in that volcano. I made sure nothing was left of him, not even that chip.

The only one I spared was Panda King no thanks to peer pressure from Bentley. He knew what I was doing wasn't something we originally intended. He saw that change in me and promptly acted against for once. At least there was some usage to be had by sparing him. I learned his very own moveset he tried against me. That "Flame Fu" crap. I rarely use it though. It's only for emergencies due to its massive power. Power enough to obliterate anyone to ashes in one hit if used right. That very power led me to my second T.R. technique, and first "Ringtail" move for that notebook. I found a way to harness that power without the "flame" part of it. Therefore, I can knock em clean out for hours. It's useful for whenever I want to do something non lethal (a rare occurrence) .

But after it all was said and done, they wanted the old me again. But by the time they tried to convince to go back to my thieving ways, without hurting a soul, it was too late.

I was dead set on my decision to become the dark hero. Before we split, Bentley made me the tech of Ringtail I use now as a goodbye present. It was then that Sly Cooper the Thief had died, and in its ashes, Ringtail was born.

It was then I did small things from time to time. But when I made the major headlines was when I went after some inheritor trying to revive Muggshot's gambling empire. Like I would let someone recreate something from my past I intended to be destroyed forever. So I killed him too. I knew he was a scumbag when I encountered him. I could smell it from his alcoholic breath and his evil odorous aura he left. You couldn't convince me otherwise if you tried.

That very thing was taught by my parents. Learning to analyze people like that using senses, even with the unknown "sixth sense". It was how I could tell Bentley and Murray were good friends. It was my gut that led me to them.

And in recent events, my gut told me this cop chick wasn't scary behind that hot temper. If anything, it told me of her golden heart.

And it was also my gut that put me on this path. The feeling of being whole was what drived me.

If I could trust no one, my gut would be the one thing my in which my faith was absolute.

After this thought, I awoke from my trance. I looked at my phone again. 8:32 PM.

Who would've known that train of thought would take 4 hours to finally stop? I sigh again, looking out. Maybe I should go to bed early today. After that midnight attack, it really took a hit to my sleep schedule.

Plus, I have a big day tomorrow. For once, I won't be Ringtail. I'll be me. Sly Cooper.


	5. LIFE AS A CITIZEN

**A/N: Well, here is the next chapter. School's been really pushing hard this time of year so it took me a while to edit this. Last I recall, I had this ready for quite a long time. I just needed to make some final changes.**

 **Please read and review as always. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **4\. LIFE AS A CITIZEN**

Sly Cooper woke up to his usual darkened room. _Thank god for curtains and blinds.,_ the raccoon silently appreciated. He tousled over to his bedside alarm clock. "Damn...near afternoon? I must've been exhausted!", he groggily whined. As with any tired soul, he felt comfortable in his bed, wanting to not get up from its loving warmth. But alas, he had to.

He made a noise as he got up into a sitting position, running his fingers through his scruffy hair. "Thank God. No more antics for at least today.", he mumbled as he got up and headed towards his living room in nothing but his boxers.

His eyes were directed at the window. "Rain again...wasn't it sunny yesterday? The hell did the clouds come from? Germany?", he yawned as he talked to himself. At least now he knew why his room was so dark at noon.

Sly never liked rain. It was usually a sign that something bad would happen. It rained on the day his father died. It rained on the day his mother kicked the bucket. It rained on the day he ended Clockwerk for good and became the monster he is now.

It's why he never liked rain. That, plus his stuff would get wet, and god forbid if he forgot his umbrella, he himself would become a drenched, soggy mess. But at least he was in the safety and comfort of his own home.

He stood and blankly stared as he made his coffee. At this point, his mind wandered all over the place. It went back to the woman he encountered yesterday, Back to his friends. And of course he was thinking of how to spend his day as well.

 _Maybe I'll go somewhere for lunch. Like that nice cafe I once saw… La Petite Fleur._

He grabbed his mug and guided himself to his couch where he sat down and sipped the hot drink. He winced at the heat of the drink. It wasn't scalding hot, he always made sure of that, but it still had quite an impact.

 _Least now I'm awake._ He drank from the cup again. His eyes wandered around the apartment he owned. He may have been living in it for quite some time now, but it didn't mean he wasn't fascinated by it. He was lucky he managed to get himself enough funds early on to last the bills for at least 10 years.

Which reminded him, he should get a job since his hero work doesn't earn him anything. He thought about diving back into thieving again, but he'd rather do it with the gang than by himself. Even his own father had friends to help him. _Ah, but what's the big deal? I track criminals and get through things myself now anyways. Relying on others might dull those skills…_

He also thought about taking bounties, but some of them were just plain dirty. If he did resort to it, he'd have to be extra careful.

He then looked to his electric guitar. _Street performance? Hm. Maybe if I'm out of options._

His phone buzzed and played a notification sound. He shook his head to stop spacing out and looked at it. It was a text from Bentley.

" **Murray's doing a demo derby next week on this same day. It starts at 8 PM. You wanna go?"**

Sly picked it up and typed a reply. " **Yea! I'll get the tickets early today."** Well now he knew one thing to do. "That reminds me…", he spoke. "Do I need anything?"

Sly went through his fridge and cupboards to check. "No...I guess not."

He plopped back to his couch and looked at his phone again.

" **OK. See you there."**

He smiled and went back to finishing his coffee before he stepped in the shower. He came out after and dried himself off. _Hot showers...truly the greatest._

Sly opened his closet door and slowly ran his fingers through every shirt before stopping and picking out a blue shirt. The old shirt he used back in the days of the Cooper gang. "Boy, I have a lot of memories with you."

Sly then picked up an idea and immediately went for the rest of the outfit. He slipped on the blue shirt and later found his yellow scarf. He then found his older cap and placed it on his head. Later on, he slipped on a pair of standard slim fit jeans, the old boots and even his gloves. Of course he took out his dark blue trench coat because of the rain, including his big, black umbrella too, with the curled handle. He stopped before the mirror and analyzed himself.

"Wow...take off the pants and coat and it'd be a blast from the past. Too bad my full cane's gone after making it a knife…", he murmured before stepping out of his apartment, locking the door behind. He then remembered he forgot his car keys, rushing back inside and coming out, repeating the action from before.

Taking the same old elevator to the garage, he went towards the parking lot area and found his other car, a silver Toyota AE86. It was a quaint little car, though it didn't have most of the safety features his Ringtail one had, it was fine enough.

He hopped in and buckled in, starting the car and pulling out of the place. He drove on until he found the cafe minutes later. He pulled into a spot and parked it, turning it off. As he closed his umbrella, he couldn't believe who he saw.

It was that exact same lady cop he was escaping just yesterday.

Carmelita was ultimately relieved when she got a phone call from the Chief explaining she earned enough time to take a whole week off. But she knew either way that she couldn't stay off guard for too long. Ringtail might strike at any time. So she decided to take only the weekend off.

Much like Sly, she too had wanted to come here for a while. The raccoon found it a coincidence that he would find her here.

Odd how fate sometimes bends to one's will and desires if it feels like it.

The young coon wanted to talk to her while she was right in front of him, but he didn't want his introduction to be awkward. Plus, if she is hunting for his other identity, then that means she'll take any and all raccoon males as possible subjects, even if the personality is bizarrely different from the icy shoulder he puts out.

But yet the clever boy found a way. From what it seemed, the line was long. He'd wait a bit before speaking up, and maybe she may talk to him. A lot was riding on this, so he had to try it.

First seconds past by. Now it was a minute past. Then two. Then three. Then four. And finally five. Now it was showtime.

Sly exhaled audibly and mumbled at a volume enough for only nearby people to hear. "Man...for something "petite"...it sure is packed."

Carmelita's ears perked up and she turned. She answered in the same volume. "Right? I wanted to come here. It looked like a homely place, but when I walk in, it's like one of those chain restaurants."

Sly shrugged. "Eh. Maybe it's cause it's the weekend."

The fox nodded in agreeance. "Yea."

"It's odd too. I had my eyes set on this place for a while. Haven't really had the time to come here."

"Really now? Why's that?", the beautiful vixen asked.

"Cause of work."

"Oh. I know how that feels like. You must work hard then. What kinda job do you have?"

He was not expecting this. It was almost as if he could feel an invisible hand slap him for his mistake and not noticing it. He thought up of something on the spot. "Security."

"Really, who for?", she seemed to become interested now. That curveball continued to loop around him, but it was getting him somewhere.

"No one really important. Just some company bigwig with a lot money and paranoia. I don't really pay attention to names unless they're kingpins. That way I know who to avoid."

"Hm.", she nodded. Sly noticed her outfit was different. Instead of her usual uniform, she was wearing a dark puffer coat that went down to just above her waist, with a lighter colored tank top and some skinny jeans. Her boots were now also high heeled as opposed to her combat boots from before.

She spoke up again. "I'm on a vacation. You are too, right?"

Sly nodded. "Yeah. The boss was generous enough to give me a month's worth of paid leave."

She gaped. "Dios mios...that much?"

Sly didn't notice before because of the focus on his escape, but he saw she had a Spanish accent. _So she's not natively from Paris? Interesting…_

"Yea. I worked a lot of overtime. I guess you could say I'm dedicated."

"No kidding! I only earned myself a week off after all my hard work!"

"Man, where do you work?"

"Police."

"Yeesh that's tough."

"Yea. But it's a reward for what I've done."

"Wait a minute, aren't you the cop on TV? The one chasing Ringtail?"

She nodded. "That chase on top of the others is what earned me it. Normally I would've gotten half a week, but my superior is nice."

"So he didn't punish you for not catching him?"

"No. He's too much of a kind soul to do that. Having a guy like that in the force is rare."

"Wow. That's cool!"

"It is.", she smiled.

"So...what's your name?", she asked, looking towards him.

"Sly. Sly Cooper. What about you?"

"Carmelita. Carmelita Fox."

"Nice to meet you Carmelita. Good name, by the way.", he shook hands with her.

"You're not so bad yourself Sly."

Sly looked past her to see the line moved up. "Oh! The line!"

Carmelita turned her head and moved up promptly, and Sly did too. The raccoon had to admit, that security thing was a close call. One misstep and he might've been a suspect. He felt lucky to have a sharp wit and great luck.

But then again, that choice wasn't too smart. It makes him more viable as an option. _Damn! I knew I should have went for vacuum salesman!_

Too late for that now. However, it seems now that she likes him, a good point in his case. Maybe he won't be considered.

After they ordered, the two decided to sit together and continue the conversation.

"So Sly...what's like working in security?", she asked.

"It's interesting sometimes. I'm not the one who sits behind monitors and watches the cams, thank God. That would be a bore. I think I'd fall asleep so often I'd be fired within the next week."

Carmelita giggled a little at this. "Right? The guys at the station tell me all the time how much watching the cameras sucks."

"I feel bad for them. But nah, I don't do that. I mainly patrol around the place. A lot better than camera work cause you feel the tension there. I've actually encountered some people and took 'em down.", Sly commented, completely lying.

"Cool! What kind of gear do you get?"

"Nothing too exciting. Just a standard issue pistol with a flashlight on it. But if I'm lucky, I sometimes earn night vision goggles for a day."

"Huh."

Sly decided to change the topic. It was better to find things he had truth in than to lie the entire way. "So...Valentines coming up."

Carmelita rolled her eyes. "Oh yeah. More bugging from my mom all day. 'Find a man sweetie! You're a lonely little hermit, honey!' I love my mom, but she just drives me nuts sometimes."

Sly chuckled. "Sounds like you got a handful."

Carmelita shook her heading smirking. "You got no idea. How about you, Cooper? You got any parents?"

Sly's eyes went from his happy state to a more diluted, melancholic way. He bit his lip and looked down at his feet. "No...not really. They..." Sly inhaled deeply. "They died when I was little. People came to my house and killed them. Mom escaped but...they found her again. I witnessed both first hand."

"Oh my god. I'm so sorry, I didn't know.", she covered her mouth with her hand. Now it was getting _really_ uncomfortable for her.

Sly shook his head and brought up both of his hands in reassurance. "It's fine. Besides...being an orphan isn't that bad. I met some really good friends there. It's just that I miss them."

"I imagine so. Mother and Father's day must be depressing for you.", she sighed. "Sorry for bringing it up."

"It's alright. Like you said, you didn't know. It's not your fault.", his eyes went back up to her.

"Alright. Thanks. You're so nice.", she stated.

This was where Sly displayed his own intrigue for the other. It was really just a small act, nothing too special. It's what everybody says when others make mistakes. He would ask when he knew her better though, and not do...well, what he just did. He remembered his father's advice. "All people have problems son. Sometimes when you're new to another, it's not wise to ask about them unless they're known to be open about it. But if they are, they're attention seekers."

 _Shit. Then I must be an attention seeker.,_ Sly chided himself.

His father was so full of wisdom. All of the things he said stuck in his child mind for eternity, like knowing these things was of the utmost importance.

"You're welcome.", he simply replied. "I don't see a need to act any other way towards a woman. Even if I don't know them."

"You have some great manners Sly. Your father must've been a wonderful man."

"Yea. From what I remember, my mother spoke so highly of him."

"Well, your mother must've been a nice woman too."

"She was. She protected me like there was no tomorrow before she died."

Carmelita just nodded slowly and silently.

"Can we change this conversation? I don't mind talking about my parents...it just...brings up bad memories.", Sly rubbed his arm and directed his gaze towards his feet,

She complied. "Sure. So...any hobbies you got?"

Sly drove home with content. He held a conversation for quite a while with this woman, and even got her phone number. He sighed in satisfaction as he pulled out a torn piece of paper with a number and even a note.

"Cooper...you sure are a smooth one."

He exited his normal vehicle and headed back up to his apartment. "Today just-"

He cut himself off. "Close one! Don't wanna jinx this day.", he muttered to himself. He pulled out his cell and entered the number, adding it to his list of contacts. He opened the door to his room and came back out changed in casual sweats, sitting back down on his comfy couch and switching on the TV.

His eyes practically bulged and his jaw dropped to the floor when he saw it. He was not prepared for this headline. "Famous Dem Derby Driver "The Murray" killed in freak accident."

He focused all his attention on the reporter. "The Murray was transporting himself to Paris this week in preparation for the upcoming event, when suddenly his combustion engine imploded, destroying the car and leaving him dead."

The rest seemed to blur. The day was so perfect, how could this have happened?!

The coon immediately reached for his phone and tapped like wildfire, immediately calling Bentley.

He then heard a pickup noise. "Bentley, did you see the news?!"

Sniffling could be heard from the other line. "Yea...I know…"

He felt a twinge of inner pain as he heard his comrade's voice cracking. "Bentley…", was all he could muster before sighing, putting his hand on his head. He could feel a single tear well up in his eyes and slid down his cheek.

He then huffed out. "This couldn't have been an accident. I'll be back Bentley."

"Sly...please don't go out as Ringtail. I won't lose you too!"

Sly was silent. "Don't worry, I won't. I'll be Sly Cooper for now."

Bentley got a little more optimistic. "You will?"

"Yea. Hook yourself up to my old binocucom Bent. It's time for a nostalgia trip."

"Alright Sly. I'll do my best!"

Sly held the phone in his hand, watching it as Bentley hung up. He headed towards his closet and dusted off his old mask and binocucom. Looking at them, he gained a sense of nostalgia. It reminded him of the old days.

Though, he had to remind himself. A sweatshirt hood and his thief mask wasn't enough. So he reached in further and pulled out a red bandana.

It was actually Mz. Ruby's old doo-rag. He claimed it as a prize to show proof of her death by his hands. He was thankful for having this on standby, and for having it washed. Otherwise he'd have nasty hair all over it.

With the bandana now covering his mouth, his hood over his head and his mask on, he began to jump off the balcony before quickly turning around and grabbing a cleaver.

"Just in case…", he muttered as he hopped off the balcony and around the roofs with his thief abilities.


End file.
